Jade Without Fragrance - Chapter 2 : Family

Wen Hao was feeling disoriented when Wen Chan brought her back to the General's Mansion. The location of the General's Mansion, adjacent to Prince Jing's Mansion, made it much easier for them to return there than to the Wen's Mansion.

Upon receiving the news, the Old Madam rushed out, exclaiming, "A Hao, I heard you injured your foot?"

Wen Hao looked at her grandmother with distress, called out to her, and tears began to stream down her face: "Grandmother..."

This outcry startled everyone present.

After a brief moment of surprise, the Old Madam embraced Wen Hao, her hands trembling as she stroked Wen Hao's hair and then her face, as if she were in a dream: "A Hao, A Hao..."

The fact that Wen Hao could not speak had long burdened the hearts of her loving elders.

"Grandmother, I can speak now."
With tears glistening in her eyes, Wen Hao smiled and held her gaze on the Old Madam for a fleeting moment.

Seeing her grandmother again filled her with joy, but recalling her previous life, she remembered that her grandmother would soon pass away, having been driven to the brink by her father's harshness.

"Chan'er, do your parents know that A Hao can speak? By the way, didn't you go to Prince Jing's Mansion with your mother today?"

The Old Madam was overjoyed, then suddenly realized, "How did A Hao return from outside? Isn't she supposed to be in our mansion?"

Wen Chan looked at her sister, who was absorbed in staring at their grandmother, and replied with a hint of resignation, "Second Sister climbed over the wall."

The Old Madam paused for a moment, then smiled gently at Wen Hao, her eyes brimming with affection: "A Hao's mischievous spirit reminds me of my youth."

Wen Chan slightly grimaced, knowing her grandmother's likely response to the truth, so she decided to tell it directly.

Wen Hao reached out and lightly tugged at the Old Madam's sleeve.

"A Hao, what is it?"

The Old Madam gazed at her granddaughter, unable to hide her joy. For her, A Hao would always be her cherished granddaughter, regardless of her ability to speak, but for A Hao, this change represented an entirely new life.

Her granddaughter, A Hao, who was undoubtedly lovely and well-mannered, had endured considerable injustice due to her silence.

"Grandmother, I think I might be in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

The Old Madam recalled Wen Chan's words and smiled reassuringly, "Oh, climbing over the wall? That's nothing serious; you did that when you were a child."

The General Lin's Mansion was originally the Duke's Mansion. Though General Lin, who accompanied Emperor Taizu in his conquests, held a status lower than that of a prince, he possessed considerable authority and esteem in Emperor Taizu's eyes.

After Emperor Taizu's passing, the ineffectual Emperor Pingle ascended to the throne and, under pressure from the Northern Qi invaders, repeatedly retreated, offering compensation, giving up territory, and losing ten cities in just two years.

General Lin, known for his fiery temperament, faced demotion each time he chastised Emperor Pingle. After several confrontations, the Emperor eventually restructured the Duke's Mansion into the General's Mansion.

Perhaps out of respect for the former Emperor, the new Emperor allowed the Lin family to remain in the Duke's Mansion, merely changing the nameplate.

Later, when Emperor Pingle's brother, Prince An, attacked the capital and Emperor Pingle disappeared amidst the chaos, Prince An took the throne, renaming himself Emperor Tai'an.

Emperor Tai'an wished to restore General Lin's title of Duke. However, General Lin, disheartened by Emperor Pingle's weakness and disapproving of the dishonorable means by which Emperor Tai'an seized power, resolutely rejected the offer.

"I fell in front of the Young Prince Jing and was spotted by the Young Princess and others."

The Old Madam raised her eyebrows upon hearing this and embraced Wen Hao, offering her comfort: "It's not important. A Hao, keep in mind that rumors are merely fleeting whispers. As long as those who truly care for you remain unconcerned, they will vanish almost instantly."

"I see," Wen Hao sighed quietly, leaning against her grandmother.

The individuals who loved her truly didn't mind, yet soon those very people either passed away or lost their sanity, while the remaining peoples who lacked affection for her sought to push her into despair.

Just then, a female doctor entered, carrying a medical kit.

The Old Madam gestured towards Wen Hao and instructed, "Quickly examine the second girl's ankle."

Wen Hao had a bruise on her ankle, but fortunately, there were no fractures. The doctor wrapped ice in a soft cloth and applied it to the injury.

Wen Chan, feeling concerned, couldn't help but reprimand her: "Not only did you twist your ankle, but you also bit your hand. What if you end up with a scar?"

Wen Hao glanced at her eldest sister, who was gently applying ointment, and smiled: "I thought I was dreaming when I found that I could actually speak."

Wen Chan stopped and lowered her gaze to hide her tears.

After all the trials, her sister had finally found her happy conclusion.

Once the doctor finished her work and exited, a lovely woman with an elegant bun rushed in through the curtain.

"I guess Chan'er brought A Hao to see Mother," Madam Lin said breathlessly as she approached the Old Madam, her eyes darting anxiously to Wen Hao.

"A Hao, are you all right?"

She had just been engaged in light-hearted conversation with a group of noblewomen accompanying Princess Jing when a palace maid had discreetly informed her about her youngest daughter.

However, the maid had kept the details sparse, leaving Madam Lin in a state of near panic.

Wen Hao looked at Madam Lin and remained silent for a moment.

Madam Lin smiled at her eldest daughter, then turned to her mother with a puzzled, happy expression: "What's wrong?"

"Mother..." Wen Hao exclaimed, her voice clear.

Madam Lin froze and stared at her daughter in surprise: "A Hao?"

Before Wen Hao could continue speaking, Madam Lin quickly pinched her own cheek in excitement.

The Old Madam was unable to intervene in time and expressed her annoyance: "You're truly mother and daughter."

Madam Lin's lips trembled with joy, and despite the pain in her cheeks, she could hardly believe it: "A Hao, say 'mother' again."

"Mother..." Wen Hao choked out.

Madam Lin embraced Wen Hao, unable to contain her tears.

The Old Madam, drying her own eyes, smiled: "You should hurry and share this joyous news with your husband."

Wen Hao's expression cooled at her words.

Yes, at that moment, her father still appeared as a devoted son-in-law to her grandmother and a good husband in her mother's eyes.

Wen Hao gently extricated herself from Madam Lin's arms: "Mother, let's head back to the mansion first."

"A Hao, you've injured your foot; you should stay here and rest. You can return once you feel better," the Old Madam insisted.

"It's not far. We can get there quickly by carriage. I'll come back to be with you when my ankle heals," Wen Hao said, offering her grandmother a reassuring smile.

Madam Lin added, "Mother, I'll take my daughters home so as not to disturb your peace."

With General Lin having passed away, Madam Lin, as a married woman, only needed to observe mourning for one year, while the Old Madam had to mourn her husband for three years, meaning the Old Madam was still in mourning.

Considering this, the Old Madam didn't try to stop them.

The Wen Mansion was indeed quite close to the General's residence, and the mother and daughter boarded the carriage, arriving in less than fifteen minutes.

Wen Hao lifted the carriage curtain, scrutinizing the plaque that read 'Wen Mansion', and couldn't help but sneer quietly.

This mansion was bought by her grandfather after her parents became engaged. Being an only child, her mother's parents wished for her to reside closer to her parents' home for convenience.

However, a significant concern was that her father was a poorly-paid scholar who had just passed the imperial examination.

Her grandfather was apprehensive about undermining his son-in-law's pride by having him live with his wife's family, especially since her father lacked the funds to buy a house.

"A Hao, what are you looking at?" Madam Lin cheerfully inquired of her young daughter, who was gazing out the window, beaming with delight.

Wen Hao pulled down the car curtain and smiled, saying, "I can't shake the feeling that I'm dreaming; even our home seems a bit unusual. Mother, please don't write to Father yet. Wouldn't it be a delightful surprise to wait for him to return?"

Madam Lin, having been pampered throughout her childhood, still retained a youthful spirit even after many years of marriage, and she found this suggestion appealing.

As dusk approached, a maid announced, "The master has returned," and Wen Ru Gui entered with an air of melancholy.

"Master..."

Upon noticing the somber expression on Wen Ru Gui's face, Madam Lin's smile vanished, leaving her momentarily in shock.